Ming And Qing Dynasties, Shanxi Merchants Status Of Women Study

There still exists the thought of treating woman as inferior to men and the Gender inequality in contemporary society .Man-centrism still dominate the fate of men and women. Compared to ancient time, it is just a different degree and performance. Man-centrism has to deeply print in the human civilization and culture. So female have great difficulties of the development. So there has important practical significance to strengthen the study of ancient women.As the biggest commerce group, Shanxi merchants dominated Chinese history 500 years to create a miracle that there has Shanxi merchant where have Sparrows in Ming and Qing Dynasties. However, it seems to overlook the contribution of the Shanxi merchant women when we assess the achievements of Shanxi merchants. From the angle of sexual distinction, this article attempts to use "gender" theory to explore Shanxi merchant women's status on the basis of the documents .In order to contribute to the history of the women's marriage and benefit the history of Shanxi merchants.This article falls into seven parts: Firstly, it introduces this article the reason of selecting the topic, the topic significance, the research present situation, the mentality and some concepts. Secondly, on the basis of the documents, I analyze Shanxi merchant women's general characters in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Just as special living environment is bound to create different women groups, Shanxi merchants women are simple, courageous, virtuous, competent, both conservative and open. Thirdly, as Shanxi merchants often go out on business, merchant women manage household independently and support their husbands to go out on business. At the same time they enjoy the unique right to education, self-determination in marriage, decision-making authority. Through the analysis of the Shanxi merchants women's effect and power in the home. We can get their family status. Fourthly, compared to ordinary families, merchant women have more capital and leisure time to pursuit of food and clothing. They pursuit of the freedom of individuality. And special home environment makes a number of merchant women participate in social communication in the voluntary or forced, even are involved in commercial activities. From these acts, we can see Shanxi merchant women's social position. Fifthly, I analyze the reasons of Shanxi merchants women'status from the social factors, home environment and personal factors. Regardless of merchant women's particularity, they live in the feudal society and are bound to possess the society characteristics, at the same time they are living in the commercial environment and in their own right which all cause merchants women special status. Sixth, from the freely remarry and the concept of chastity, I compare Shanxi merchants women's status with Huizhou merchants women's status. Then, I analyze the reasons of their status difference from Cheng brothers and Zhu Xi'thoughts, Huizhou merchants strong patriarchal forces, the right to the supremacy of man, as well as these two places different customs. The last one is the conclusion, In the summary summarizes in the full text foundation, pointed out that the Ming and Qing Dynasties time Shanxi merchant woman to that time China feminine community, is a very small part, but they had reflected to a certain extent after all the traditional society's feminine life, has manifested the feudal society feminine emotion course and the experience of life. To enriches the Chinese woman history research, enables in people's to have more profound and a comprehensive understanding to history Chinese female.